Välkommen till Sverige! Welcome to Sweden! GUIDE FOR OUR AFS STUDENTS AFS is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. AFS operates in more than 60 countries, and organizes and supports intercultural learning experiences through exchange programs. Founded by volunteer ambulance drivers following Second World War, and sustained to this day by an international cadre of tens of thousands of volunteers, AFS has transformed the lives of millions of students, families and individuals. AFS Interkulturell Utbildning was established in Sweden in 1948. Our members and volunteers are former AFSers, their families, host families and people who support the objectives of AFS. The Office in Stockholm Address: AFS Interkulturell Utbildning Tullvaktsvägen 2 115 56 Stockholm Switch Board: 08 - 406 00 00 In case of emergency outside office hours, call the switch board to reach the duty officer. E-Mail: [email protected] Office Hours: Monday-Friday 09.00 – 16.30 Website: www.afs.se Facebook: facebook.com/AFS Interkulturell Utbildning Instagram: #afssweden Twitter: @Interkulturellt 2 CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are about to start an exciting and very rewarding year in Sweden! This booklet will introduce you to Sweden and provide you with some suggestions on how to prepare yourself for your year in Sweden. The exchange program you are going to be part of will not only give you a better understanding of Swedish culture, your own country and its values but also provide you with a deeper understanding of yourself! After the conclusion of the program we also hope you will have a better understanding of global issues. The orientations during the year will be a way for us at AFS to help and guide you through this process. You will have the opportunity to meet a lot of new people and establish lifelong relationships with many of them. Enjoying the benefits of improving your language skills, learning about Swedish life in your host community and experiencing a new culture. You will probably experience both good and not so good times, and it will demand your effort and interest in adapting to a different way of living. As a member of the world-wide AFS family, we welcome you into this international community and hope that your stay in Sweden will be exciting, fun but most of all an enriching learning experience from which you will benefit in the future. We want to start out by giving you some general advice regarding your personal well-being during the year: • Get to know the host culture well through questions, dialogue and discussions with your host family, classmates and the AFS volunteers. Observe their behaviour and do as they do as much as possible. • Take feelings of any kind or misunderstandings between you and your host family or school seriously. Talk to AFS volunteers and/or staff and follow their advice. • As stated in the Participation Agreement that you sign before leaving home, the AFS- office in Sweden will make recommendations and give guidelines for physical welfare and security. Take this advice seriously and comply with these guidelines. LYCKA TILL! GOOD LUCK! 3 GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT SWEDEN………………………. 5 Facts and figures……………………………………………………... 5 Holidays………………………………………………………………. 6 Money………………………………………………………………… 6 Telephone and internet connection…………………………………… 7 Public transport………………………………………………............. 7 Weather……………………………………………………………….. 8 Clothing…………………………………………………………......... 8 SWEDISH CULTURE……………………………………………………. 9 Swedish famous people……………………………………………….. 9 Food culture…………………………………………………………... 10 Lifestyle and family style……………………………………............... 11 Manners and customs…………………………………………………. 12 Unwritten rules……………………………………………………….. 13 Common misconceptions about Sweden…………………………….. 13 Did you know that…?………………………………………………… 14 The Swedish school system………………………………………….. 15 AFS ACTIVITIES…………………………………………………………. 16 The orientation camps……………………………………………....... 16 Local support…………………………………………………………. 18 Your host family……………………………………………………… 19 Involvement in AFS……………………….…………………………. 21 Learn Swedish……………………………………………………….. 22 SAFETY TIPS…………………………………………………………….. 23 In or around the home………………………………………………… 23 Emergencies………………………………………………………….. 23 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SWEDEN…………………………… 24 AFS INTERKULTURELL UTBILDNING………………………… 25 4 GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT SWEDEN FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT SWEDEN Capital Stockholm (1,2 million) Population 9,8 million Immigration 20% (2011, defined as born abroad or born in Sweden by two parents born abroad) Population density 25 person per sq. Km Area 450 000 km2 Forest 53% Lakes Around 97 500 Islands Around 267 000 Longest N-S distance 1,574 km Longest E-W distance 499 km Highest point 2,111 m (Kebnekaise) Official language Swedish Money Svenska kronor – SEK (Swedish kronor) Form of government Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy Religion 64,6% Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden 5 HOLIDAYS 1st of January New Years´ day Nyårsdagen 6th of January Epiphany Trettondag jul Friday March or April Good Friday Långfredagen Monday March or April Easter Monday Annandag påsk 1st of May Labor day Första maj A Thursday in May Ascension day Kristi himmelsfärdsdag 6th of June National day Sveriges nationaldag A Friday in June Midsummer Midsommarafton 31st of October All Saint´s day Alla helgons dag 24th of December Christmas Eve Julafton 25th of December Christmas Day Juldagen 26th of December Christmas Annandag jul MONEY The monetary unit in Sweden is the krona, SEK (plural “kronor”). Bank notes are printed in values of 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 kronor. Coins are in denominations of 1, 5 and 10 kronor. Credit cards as Visa, MasterCard, Maestro or Cirrus are accepted almost everywhere, as are international cards. You can withdraw cash at any cash machine. We recommend you NOT to bring much cash with you. In case you have cash with you ask your host family upon arrival for a safe place to put it. You will need approximately 1 500 -2 000 SEK a month to cover your basic needs, i.e. telephone, pocket money, clothes, activities. To open a bank account in Sweden you need to have a Swedish personal number, which you can only get if you live in Sweden for more than one year. If you want to open a bank account during your stay, we recommend you to ask your host family to help you. Some bank may sometimes create fictive personal number. Examples of living costs in Sweden: (US $1 is approximately equal to 8,50 Swedish kronor; EUR 1 is approximately equal to 9,50 Swedish Kronor. • “Fika" = coffee & a bun/cake 60-70 SEK • Cinema ticket 100-120 SEK • Eating out varies 50–120 SEK • Sweater 250-800 SEK (fast food and lunch) • T-shirt 50-150 SEK • Restaurants (dinner) 150-500 SEK • Shoes 250-1500 SEK • Concert tickets 250 SEK and more • Winter jacket 400-1000 SEK AFS Interkulturell Utbildning and its local chapters do not have any funds to cover extra costs for you. AFS as an organization can only cover the costs written in your participation agreement, i.e., costs related to AFS-activities and school. 6 TELEPHONE AND INTERNET CONNECTION The best option for you will be to buy a Swedish mobile number. There are several mobile operators offering different payment plans ranging from 99SEK/month to 600SEK/month depending on the internet connection and calls. Talk to your host family for help and advice for the best option. For international calls Skype, Viber, WhatsApp and the like are the cheapest options. In Sweden you have access to Internet in many public places and many families have wifi at home. Ask your family for how they have arranged it and if you can use it as well. Always remember to ask for permission from your host family before making a call to a cell phone or an international call. Swedish phone bills itemize all local, cell phone, long distance and international calls, so your host family will notice all calls! International calls are very expensive! Remember that you came to another country to meet new people and try new activities. Don’t spend too much time talking to friends and family in your home country or at your computer. Maja, an exchange student from Germany, with her Swedish friends - 2014/2015 PUBLIC TRANSPORT Public transportation is well developed in Sweden and perfectly safe to use. It is generally the most common way to travel longer distances. Walking or taking your bike to the bus/train, to school or to meet friends is often how youth (and adults) go around. If you use public 7 transportation to a nearby town, check the timetable before because most of the public transportation stops running at a certain time in the evening. The price for the travel card varies much throughout Sweden and ranges generally from 500 – 800 SEK/month. There are often special prices for youth and sometimes travel cards valid for a full semester. If the school does not provide you with a travel card for day travel to and from the school, AFS will cover that expense. You will have to buy the additional card for evening and weekend travel yourself. For longer travels within Sweden, the train is often used and sometimes also flying (depending on the distance). The fast train between Göteborg and Stockholm takes 3 hours, and Malmö to Stockholm 4, 5 hours. Going between, for example, Umeå to Stockholm takes 9 hours as there is no fast train. There are youth tickets available for the train. You can book your ticket 3 months ahead: the earlier you book, the cheaper the price will be. WEATHER Sweden is situated at the same latitude as Alaska but thanks to the Gulf Stream, there are four distinctive seasons with cold winters and semi- warm summers. The weather in Sweden differs quite extensively depending on if you are on the Northern half or in the South. In the winter, the difference is the greatest with a lot of snow and cold in the North, while there seldom is snow in the very South.